The fact that Chi Yan emerged from the palace unharmed immediately caused quite a stir among the people.
The clamor that had been building immediately died down. Everyone sensed something was wrong. If Chi Yan had really been lying, why would His Majesty have let him go back?
He's probably already in jail by now!
Then the wind direction outside quietly changed.
"I remember that Chi Yan was a child prodigy who passed the county-level imperial examination at the age of twelve! It's not surprising that he also became the top scholar in the provincial-level examination!"
"Exactly! You all speak with such conviction, as if you witnessed someone cheating with your own eyes!"
...
After Chi Yan returned home, Madam Chi immediately rushed over with a worried expression: "My son, you look so thin..."
She cupped Chi Yan's face in her hands, her throat tightening, and the words that went against her conscience suddenly wouldn't come out. Her voice carried a hint of suspicion as she asked, "How come you've gained weight?"
Shen Tangning stood to the side with a half-smile on her face.
Chi Yan's face flushed, and he guiltily touched his nose: "The food in the palace is too good..."
Master Chi Er nervously pulled him aside and asked about the situation.
"Son, His Majesty didn't make things difficult for you, did he? He let you come back, doesn't that mean everything is alright?"
Chi Yan feigned a deep expression and didn't rush to say anything.
Shen Tangning smiled and said, "Husband, stop keeping us in suspense. Father and Mother have been so worried these past few days that they haven't been able to eat or sleep properly."
Chi Yan felt a pang of guilt and unease. He put his arms around the two elders and led them inside, saying, "Don't worry, His Majesty didn't punish me. Your son relied on his true abilities. Let's just consider this matter over..."
...
At night, Shen Tangning was sitting in front of a bronze mirror removing her hairpins and jewelry. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something and picked up a jade hairpin from a box. The workmanship was a bit rough, but the end of the hairpin was carved with several clusters of crabapple blossoms, which were quite lifelike.
Such jewelry had never appeared in her dressing case before. Xueqing discovered it by chance while doing her makeup and found it quite novel.
Shen Tangning glanced at Chi Yan in the bronze mirror, then stood up and stepped forward: "Did my husband give me this hairpin?"
Chi Yan was diligently spreading bedding on the ground when she heard this. She subconsciously looked up, her ears immediately turning red. She quickly turned her head away, pretending to be calm: "Ah, I just saw it on the street and bought it on the spot. If you don't like it, you can throw it away. It's not worth much."
He, Shen Ci, and Xiao Yu bought this on a whim to appease the vendor that day. He didn't think much of it when he bought it, but the more he thought about it, the more embarrassed he felt.
Shen Tangning has been pampered since childhood; what good things hasn't she seen?
Would she feel humiliated by such cheap, low-quality goods?
But since he had already bought it, this style wasn't really suitable for his mother, so on a whim, he secretly hid it in Shen Tangning's jewelry box, thinking she wouldn't find out.
Shen Tangning examined the jade begonia in her hand. She hadn't expected Chi Yan to be so thoughtful, knowing that she liked begonias. Even though he bought it on a whim, it still showed his care.
She smiled and handed over the hairpin: "Then you can put it on for me."
"Huh?" Chi Yan looked up blankly, and seeing her smiling eyes staring at him, he subconsciously shook his head. "I'm clumsy, why don't you let Xue Qing do it?"
Seeing his reaction, Shen Tangning thought with amusement, "It's just wearing a hairpin, it's not difficult, is my husband afraid that he can't do it well?"
Unable to withstand the provocation, Chi Yan immediately straightened up and calmly took the hairpin from her hand.
Their fingertips accidentally touched, and Shen Tangning was startled. She hadn't thought anything of it before, but now she felt a little awkward.
She sat down in front of the dressing table. Chi Yan stood behind her, his tall figure completely enveloping her. Shen Tangning glanced at him in the bronze mirror and gently pursed her lips.
Perhaps it's because Chi Yan's image is always casual and easygoing that people overlook the fact that his size is actually very imposing and aggressive, especially since we can't see his face right now and can't guess his expression.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
